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Tag: Saket Gokhale

  • Received 11 I-T notices in 72 hours: TMC MP Saket Gokhale

    New Delhi, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saket Gokhale on Friday said he has received 11 notices from the income-tax department in the last 72 hours and alleged that every attempt is being made to put pressure on the opposition ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. In a post on X, Gokhale said some of the notices go back almost seven years.

    “Got a total of 11 Income Tax notices in the last 72 hours for various years (some as far back as 7 years),” he said.

    “It’s hilarious how the Modi govt isn’t even pretending that they’ll let the elections be free and fair. Every attempt being made to pressurise the Opposition on the eve of Lok Sabha 2024,” the TMC leader said. “When ED doesn’t work out, use IT Dept. Why so desperate, BJP? Is Modi that rattled?” he asked.

    The TMC leader also shared screenshots of e-mails he received from the I-T department along with his post on the microblogging platform.

  • Crowdfunding ‘misuse’ case: SC notice to Gujarat govt on Saket Gokhale’s bail plea

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Gujarat government on a plea filed by Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale seeking bail in a case related to alleged misuse of money collected through crowdfunding.

    A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath issued a notice to the state government and sought its reply within two weeks.

    Senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for Gokhale, had earlier submitted that the petitioner has always maintained that he has collected money from crowdfunding.

    The Gujarat High Court on January 23 had refused bail to Gokhale and asked him to approach the court only after a charge sheet is filed.

    Gokhale was arrested by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch from Delhi on December 30, 2022, in a case of alleged misuse of money he had collected through crowdfunding.

    He is facing charges under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 467 (forgery) of the IPC.

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Gujarat government on a plea filed by Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale seeking bail in a case related to alleged misuse of money collected through crowdfunding.

    A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath issued a notice to the state government and sought its reply within two weeks.

    Senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for Gokhale, had earlier submitted that the petitioner has always maintained that he has collected money from crowdfunding.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The Gujarat High Court on January 23 had refused bail to Gokhale and asked him to approach the court only after a charge sheet is filed.

    Gokhale was arrested by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch from Delhi on December 30, 2022, in a case of alleged misuse of money he had collected through crowdfunding.

    He is facing charges under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 467 (forgery) of the IPC.

  • Letter to draw Vatican notice over Christians’ ‘persecution’

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI:  Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale wrote a letter to the Embassy of the Holy See of the Vatican urging it to take note of the Assam church “survey order” which amounts to “state-sponsored persecution of Christians”. 

    In the letter, Gokhale wrote, “Through this representation, we wish to apprise you of this extremely serious issue in the state of Assam with an appeal to notify His Holiness Pontifex Maximus as well as The Holy See regarding this state-sponsored persecution of Christians and to take up this issue in the relevant diplomatic forums with the Govt of India as you may deem fit.”

    The TMC spokesperson was referring to the order by the “Assam Police” seeking information on the number of churches along with details of people involved in religious conversion. Earlier, several TMC leaders, including its Meghalaya Vice President George Lyngdoh, slammed the Assam government for the “divisive move”. 

    GUWAHATI:  Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale wrote a letter to the Embassy of the Holy See of the Vatican urging it to take note of the Assam church “survey order” which amounts to “state-sponsored persecution of Christians”. 

    In the letter, Gokhale wrote, “Through this representation, we wish to apprise you of this extremely serious issue in the state of Assam with an appeal to notify His Holiness Pontifex Maximus as well as The Holy See regarding this state-sponsored persecution of Christians and to take up this issue in the relevant diplomatic forums with the Govt of India as you may deem fit.”

    The TMC spokesperson was referring to the order by the “Assam Police” seeking information on the number of churches along with details of people involved in religious conversion. Earlier, several TMC leaders, including its Meghalaya Vice President George Lyngdoh, slammed the Assam government for the “divisive move”. 

  • TMC’s Saket Gokhale arrested again, accused of misuse of crowdfunded money

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale was arrested by Gujarat police from Delhi late Thursday evening in a case of alleged misuse of money he had collected through crowdfunding, said a senior official here.

    Gokhale was arrested by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch and was being brought here for further legal process, said the senior police official, adding that they would arrive by Friday afternoon.He was first arrested by the Cyber Crime Branch on December 6 for allegedly spreading fake news regarding the cost incurred on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Morbi town following a bridge collapse tragedy.

    On December 1, Gokhale had shared a news clipping about information purportedly obtained through the Right to Information claiming that Modi’s visit to Morbi after the bridge collapse cost Rs 30 crore.

    Soon after he received bail from a court here, the TMC leader was again arrested on December 8 by the Morbi police for the same offence registered there. He was granted bail the next day.

    AHMEDABAD: Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale was arrested by Gujarat police from Delhi late Thursday evening in a case of alleged misuse of money he had collected through crowdfunding, said a senior official here.

    Gokhale was arrested by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch and was being brought here for further legal process, said the senior police official, adding that they would arrive by Friday afternoon.He was first arrested by the Cyber Crime Branch on December 6 for allegedly spreading fake news regarding the cost incurred on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Morbi town following a bridge collapse tragedy.

    On December 1, Gokhale had shared a news clipping about information purportedly obtained through the Right to Information claiming that Modi’s visit to Morbi after the bridge collapse cost Rs 30 crore.

    Soon after he received bail from a court here, the TMC leader was again arrested on December 8 by the Morbi police for the same offence registered there. He was granted bail the next day.

  • TMC delegation meets CEC over ‘harassment’ of Saket Gokhale

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A five-member TMC parliamentary delegation met the chief election commissioner on Monday and registered their protest against the arrest of party spokesperson Saket Gokhale by the Gujarat Police.

    “The delegation met the CEC over the harassment and torture of our national spokesperson. We told him that he was arrested once in Ahmedabad and a case was also lodged against him in Morbi while the model code of conduct was in force. We also said that he has been wrongly charged under Section 125 (of the Representation of the People Act) which is not attracted by what he tweeted. So, this is a case of harassment,” said TMC MP Saugata Ray after the meeting.

    He asked why the section was not raised when Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma reportedly “preached and fanned communalism and hatred towards religious minorities while campaigning in the recently held assembly election in Gujarat” or against Paresh Rawal, former MP of the BJP, who “preached hatred against the Bengali community while campaigning in the run-up of Gujarat assembly election”.

    Gokhale had on December 1 tweeted a news clipping about information purportedly obtained through a Right to Information application, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Morbi after the bridge collapse cost Rs 30 crore.

    Soon after, the Press Information Bureau tweeted a ‘fact check’, saying the information was fake.

    An FIR was registered against Gokhale on charges of forgery and printing defamatory content, and he was subsequently arrested twice.

    The TMC delegation which met the CEC also included Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Banerjee, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Mausam Noor.

    “We have strongly registered our protect against this and the CEC promised us he will ask for a report and take necessary action,” Saugata Ray said.

    NEW DELHI: A five-member TMC parliamentary delegation met the chief election commissioner on Monday and registered their protest against the arrest of party spokesperson Saket Gokhale by the Gujarat Police.

    “The delegation met the CEC over the harassment and torture of our national spokesperson. We told him that he was arrested once in Ahmedabad and a case was also lodged against him in Morbi while the model code of conduct was in force. We also said that he has been wrongly charged under Section 125 (of the Representation of the People Act) which is not attracted by what he tweeted. So, this is a case of harassment,” said TMC MP Saugata Ray after the meeting.

    He asked why the section was not raised when Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma reportedly “preached and fanned communalism and hatred towards religious minorities while campaigning in the recently held assembly election in Gujarat” or against Paresh Rawal, former MP of the BJP, who “preached hatred against the Bengali community while campaigning in the run-up of Gujarat assembly election”.

    Gokhale had on December 1 tweeted a news clipping about information purportedly obtained through a Right to Information application, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Morbi after the bridge collapse cost Rs 30 crore.

    Soon after, the Press Information Bureau tweeted a ‘fact check’, saying the information was fake.

    An FIR was registered against Gokhale on charges of forgery and printing defamatory content, and he was subsequently arrested twice.

    The TMC delegation which met the CEC also included Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Banerjee, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Mausam Noor.

    “We have strongly registered our protect against this and the CEC promised us he will ask for a report and take necessary action,” Saugata Ray said.

  • Gujarat Police arrest TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale from airport in Rajasthan, claims party; ‘no info’, says cop

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday claimed that the Gujarat Police has arrested its spokesperson Saket Gokhale, terming it a “political vendetta”.

    In a tweet, TMC national spokesperson and Rajya Dabha MP Derek O’Brien detailed the circumstances under which the arrest was made.

    Gokhale took a flight at 9 pm from New Delhi to Jaipur on Monday. When he landed, the Gujarat Police was at the airport in Rajasthan waiting for him and picked him up.

    At 2 am on Tuesday, Gokhale called his mother and told her that the police were taking him to Ahmedabad and he would reach that city by noon, O’Brien claimed.

    “The police let him make that two-minute phone call and then confiscated his phone and all his belongings,” the TMC leader said on Twitter.

    At 2 in the morning on Tue, he called his Ma and told her that they are taking him to Ahmedabad and he would reach Ahmedabad by noon today. The police let him make that one two-minute phone call and then confiscated his phone and all his belongings. 2/3
    — Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) December 6, 2022
    “The cooked up case is filed with the Ahmedabad cyber cell about Saket’s tweet on the Morbi bridge collapse. All this cannot silence the All India Trinamool Congress and the Opposition. BJP taking political vendetta to another level,” he alleged.

    When contacted, Jaipur airport police station SHO Digpal Singh said he had no such information.

    “I have no information. Nobody informed us,” he said.

    NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday claimed that the Gujarat Police has arrested its spokesperson Saket Gokhale, terming it a “political vendetta”.

    In a tweet, TMC national spokesperson and Rajya Dabha MP Derek O’Brien detailed the circumstances under which the arrest was made.

    Gokhale took a flight at 9 pm from New Delhi to Jaipur on Monday. When he landed, the Gujarat Police was at the airport in Rajasthan waiting for him and picked him up.

    At 2 am on Tuesday, Gokhale called his mother and told her that the police were taking him to Ahmedabad and he would reach that city by noon, O’Brien claimed.

    “The police let him make that two-minute phone call and then confiscated his phone and all his belongings,” the TMC leader said on Twitter.

    At 2 in the morning on Tue, he called his Ma and told her that they are taking him to Ahmedabad and he would reach Ahmedabad by noon today. The police let him make that one two-minute phone call and then confiscated his phone and all his belongings. 2/3
    — Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) December 6, 2022
    “The cooked up case is filed with the Ahmedabad cyber cell about Saket’s tweet on the Morbi bridge collapse. All this cannot silence the All India Trinamool Congress and the Opposition. BJP taking political vendetta to another level,” he alleged.

    When contacted, Jaipur airport police station SHO Digpal Singh said he had no such information.

    “I have no information. Nobody informed us,” he said.

  • Rights panel seeks report from Biplab Deb government on Tripura violence

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday directed the Tripura government to file a detailed report within four weeks on the violence against Muslims in the state.

    The rights panel passed the order on a complaint filed by the National Spokesperson of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Social Activist, Saket Gokhale who raised the issue of rising incidents of political violence and communal violence against Muslims in Tripura.

    The complaint alleges that the state machinery “acted like a bystander by siding with the violent mob”. Seeking NHRC’s intervention in the matter, Gokhale said there is an atmosphere of immense fear amongst the members of the minority community in the affected area with regard to their life and safety.

    The post Durga Puja violence against Hindus in Bangladesh has found disturbing resonance in Tripura.

    The last few days have seen violent protests in the capital Agartala and other towns by the VHP and Hindu Jagran Manch, many of which have reportedly turned into mobilisations against local Muslims and also led to vandalisation of mosques.

    Gokhale, in his complaint, also alleged that the workers of ruling party of the state had attacked leaders of All India Trinamool Congress while they were campaigning in the state and during such incidents of political violence, one of the sitting Members of Parliament and other workers of AITC sustained injuries, their vehicle were vandalized and belongings were stolen.

    Pertinently, the Tripura High Court has taken suo moto cognizance of the issue of violence in North Tripura District, Unakoti District as well as Sipahijala District and has called upon the state to file a detailed response by November 10.

    Taking cognizance of the complaint, the NHRC directed the Tripura government’s Chief Secretary and the state’s Director-General of Police to submit an action taken report within a period of four weeks.

    “The concerned authorities have also been asked to intimate the Commission if any notice, order, etc., has been received by him/them in the instant matter from the State Human Rights Commission. If yes, a copy of such order be also sent to the Commission within four weeks,” the commission said.

  • RTI activist Saket Gokhale joins Trinamool Congress

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: RTI activist Saket Gokhale Thursday joined the Trinamool Congress in New Delhi.

    He said the Mamata Banerjee-led party takes an “aggressive” stand on issues.

    “The TMC is the second largest Opposition party in Parliament and it has been my obvious choice. If you look at all the national parties, the TMC takes an aggressive stand. The way the chief minister of Bengal has been fighting on the front foot, that’s what I’m looking for,” Gokhale said after joining the party.

  • Delhi HC questions activist Saket Gokhale for tweeting against Lakshmi Puri without verifying facts

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned activist Saket Gokhale for putting out alleged defamatory tweets against former Assistant Secretary-General at the United Nations Lakshmi Puri, without verifying the facts from her or approaching any government authority.

    Gokhale, in his tweets On June 13 and 26 made reference to certain property purchased by Puri in Switzerland and also referred to her husband Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

    Observing that right to reputation is recognised as a fundamental right, the high court asked Gokhale, also a freelance journalist, as to how he can vilify people, particularly when the tweets put out by him were prima facie incorrect.

    The court was hearing a defamation suit filed by Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri seeking Rs five crore damages from Gokhale and also a direction against him to take down or delete the tweets, wherein false and factually incorrect, per-se defamatory, slanderous and libellous statements / imputations have been made by him against her and her family.

    “Show me before you put out tweets, you sought to clarify these facts from the plaintiff,” Justice C Hari Shankar asked Gokhale’s counsel who responded in negative while adding that there was no such requirement under the law and that he had tagged the finance minister in one of the tweets itself.

    “So according to your understanding of the law, any Tom, Dick and Harry can write anything against anyone on Internet irrespective of the fact that it destroys and damages the reputation of a person,” the judge said and reserved its order on the suit for July 13.

    “You tell me what exercise you have carried out with public authorities before putting out the tweets on social media,” the judge asked.

    The court said before putting out anything in public, one has to exercise due diligence and asked whether Gokhale was ready to take down the tweets? To this, his counsel Sarim Naved responded in negative.

    During the arguments, senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Puri, contended that the tweets were defamatory, malicious and based on false information and that Gokhale was nobody to put questions to her. “It is a case of ex-facie per se defamation. If I may use a Hindi phrase, ‘Ulta chor kotwal ko dante’. When I sent him a legal notice, he said he was being harassed,” the counsel argued.

    He said Puri does not hold any public office for these details to be put in public domain and if he was putting her name in public, he should have the minimum civility to ask her before he publishes this which was deliberately ignored.

    “I have made out a prima facie case and the balance of convenience is in my favour. There is conclusive evidence of defamation and harassment having taken place. People who have served the country with utmost integrity are being accused by people who are nothing. These materials which destroy the honour and integrity of a person shall not be allowed to stay,” Singh argued.

    Naved said as a citizen, Gokhale has the right to go into the assets of public functionaries. He also said Puri’s husband is a union minister and that assets of such persons along with spouse should be in public domain but in this case, the money received from their daughter is not in public domain.

  • Activist Saket Gokhale files plea in SC seeking PM Cares Fund details, links with Centre

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Saket Gokhale, the former journalist who now works as a social activist, filed an intervention application before the Supreme Court in connection with the suo motu cognisance case on COVID-19 and pleaded the apex court that PM Cares Fund be made a respondent in this case.

    The petitioner, Saket Gokhale, in his intervention application filed before the top court seeking a direction to clarify the details about the current status of the PM Cares Fund and its links with the Government of India.

    His petition also sought a direction to furnish the details about PM Cares Funds allocated and progress made towards COVID-19 relief and the status of the sanctioned projects.

    Gokhale, in his petition, contended that the PM CARES Fund is a non-governmental stakeholder that has been closely involved in decisions and projects that have been closely related to the distribution and supplies of essentials in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic albeit through the Government of India.

    For this reason, the petitioner contended in his petition that the PM CARES Fund must be made a respondent in the present case and asked to submit details pertaining to its COVID-19 relief-related projects and their present status.

    He, therefore, prayed to the Supreme Court that the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) be made a respondent in the present case, and sought a direction to clarify details about the current status of the Fund and its links with the Govt of India.

    “The only information available in the public domain about allocations from PM CARES Fund comes from statements and press releases issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). It is unclear whether, in addition to the allocations declared publicly, there have been other allocations made towards other COVID-19 related expenditure,” Gokhale said in his petition.

    He also said that on the issue of vaccines, the Union of India (UOI) has submitted to the apex court in the present case that no money was allocated or spent by the Government of India towards COVID-19 vaccine development.

    Gokhale thereby said that hence, the Government has no control over deciding the pricing of the vaccines. However, PM CARES Fund itself has declared an allocation of around Rs 100 crore towards vaccine development and it is unclear whether any additional funds were allocated for the same purpose for which information was not made available in the public domain.

    Gokhale, therefore, in his petition, clearly claimed to establish that PM CARES Fund has played a major role in matters related to supplies, distribution, and making available resources needed for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the genesis of the PM CARES Fund itself was to establish a fund separate from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) which is solely dedicated to COVID-19 and other pandemic relief

    Under the present circumstances, it is important that PM CARES Fund make available all information to the Supreme Court on the various allocations it has made towards fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has monitored the progress of projects to which monetary allocations were made, the petition said.